2 In DIY+Crafts

All Purpose Citrus Cleaner

Distilled white vinegar, left over citrus peels, and essential oils is all you need to create a powerful natural all purpose cleaner.

These three ingredients combine to create a natural antibacterial and disinfectant that is effective at banishing an array of bacteria and viruses, including E.coli and Salmonella. Unlike store bought cleaners, it’s not only tough on germs, but also gentle on your lungs and overall health. How is it able to accomplish all of this? Vinegar and citrus have natural antibacterial and antiviral properties that make them the ultimate cleaning power couple. The citrus not only adds a cleaning boost to the vinegar, by cutting through grease and dissolving it, but also a pleasant aroma.

Although It’s Made With Only Three Ingredients, I Have Six Reasons I Love This Citrus Cleaner

  1. Cuts down my exposure to harmful chemicals found in other store bought cleaners
  2. Safe to breath
  3. It’ green, which means it’s good for the environment
  4. Costs me almost nothing to make
  5. Simple to make
  6. After juicing, I’m able to reuse the left over citrus peels instead of just throwing them away. You can make this cleaner with the left over citrus peels you’ll have after trying my Beginner Green Juice Recipe.

Who would have thought such simple ingredients yielded such powerful cleaning properties? Well, Jesus knew, but I didn’t always know and if you didn’t know, now you do too! My favorite place to use this is inside my fridge since this is where I store my food and the last place I want chemicals sprayed.

What You’ll Need

  • distilled white vinegar
  • lemon peels
  • orange peels
  • orange and lemon essential oils
  • container with airtight lid
  • glass spray bottle

Instructions

  1. Place fresh saved citrus peels in a container with an air tight lid and fill with vinegar. Let sit for 10-14 days, occasionally opening and making sure all the peels are covered with vinegar. Since the peels soak up some of the vinegar, you’ll want to refill the container with more vinegar throughout the 2 week soaking stage.
  2. After about 2 weeks, strain the peels from the liquid and place liquid in spray bottle. Discard or compost peels. Add 15 drops of orange essential oil and 15 drops lemon essential oil. Shake well before each use.

Notes
  • Don’t use on granite or marble; the acidic vinegar can damage the stone!
  • Like with any new cleaner, test on a small area before applying it to the entire surface.

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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Amanda | Maple Alps
    May 2, 2017 at 4:33 pm

    I use this too and also recently talked about it on my blog! I have spent way too long checking out your site tonight when I should have been doing other things, but I LOVE it 🙂 Fantastic content 🙂

    • Reply
      kristy
      May 16, 2017 at 4:32 pm

      Thank you Amanda! It’s so easy to make and it’s much safer than other cleaners!

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